“However high a bird may soar, it has sooner or later to perch on a tree top to enjoy quiet. So too a day will come when even the most haughty, the most willful, the most unbelieving, even those who assert that there is no joy or peace in the contemplation of the Highest Self, will have to pray: God, grant me peace, grant me consolation, strength and joy.”
- Bhagavan Baba
We, the students of Bhagavan, are fortunate that we have arrived at His Lotus Feet at a tender age. “Start early, drive slowly and reach safely,” advises our Lord. In fact, it is He who has drawn us to His Lotus Feet, through His will and has showered on us His love and grace. As though this were not enough, he has given Himself to us and made us His. As Swami reminded us in a convocation address:
“My dear students …
You are the flowers in God’s garden
You are the stars in God’s sky
You must love flowers and stars.
You are wonderful beings in God’s world.”
Swami’s love is unfathomable. When it comes to His children, His love surpasses the love of a thousand mothers. As I look back at the horizon of time, I find a rainbow of memories flashing before me.
I was studying in the fourth class in Sri Sathya Sai Primary School, Prasanthi Nilayam. One morning after the interviews, Swami came out, and saw that our class was sitting in the hot sun. Swami came and called the boys of our class to sit in the verandah where it was quite cool. A mother is very sensitive to the needs and welfare of her children. This is because she identifies herself with the child. The welfare of the child is foremost in the mind of the mother.
I am reminded of another incident, which is very vivid in my memory. This happened to one of my senior brothers in school. This particular incident shows Swami’s sensitivity towards the feelings and emotions of Her children. The occasion was the prize distribution ceremony in Sri Sathya Sai Primary School. The tradition was that the student who had won the highest number of prizes would represent his class, go to the dais and collect his prize from Swami’s hands. Swami had given away all the other prizes and now only one class was left to receive the prize. The name of the prizewinner was announced. But there were two boys by the same name in that class. As there seemed to be some delay in the actual prizewinner responding, the other boy with the same name was prompted by his friends to go to Swami and receive the prize from Swami’s hands. By the time the innocent boy reached the stage, the actual prizewinner had already collected the prize. There were no other prizes left. This boy felt very embarrassed and ran back to the rear end of the hall and began to cry. Swami, the loving Mother that He is, noticed this, called the boy and made him sit on His lap. With His own handkerchief He wiped the tears of the boy and consoled him. Swami then asked the warden to get a prize, and presented it to that boy. The boy was very happy and all smiles as he had won Swami’s heart. He became the true prizewinner.
If we cry for the world we get nothing, but if we cry for the Lord we get the Lord Himself. “Shed one tear for me. I shall wipe a hundred tears. Take one step towards me. I shall take a hundred steps towards you,” declares our Lord.
The amount of love and concern that Swami has for His students is much more than the words ‘love’ and ‘concern’ can convey. Sai is the very breath of our life. Sometimes we may feel insecure, but He is always there to guide us, protect us and shower His mercy on us. Without His love we are like fishes thrown out of water struggling to breathe.
It was 11 January, 1999, the day of the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet. Students and devotees gathered at the Hill View Stadium were eagerly waiting for Bhagavan’s arrival. Swami arrived in His silver chariot. As the chariot was slowly moving past, Swami stood on it waving to everyone. Suddenly, the chariot jerked, Swami seemed to lose His balance and slump. However, He got up immediately and continued to wave back at the devotees, as though nothing had happened. The Sports and Cultural Meet programmes concluded safely and successfully. It was only on 14th January, that Swami revealed in His Divine Discourse what had actually happened. While arriving at the stadium, Swami saw some lorries parked there, to be used for the programme. Swami knew that the student who was supposed to perform gymnastic stunts on one of these lorries was destined to fall and get injured seriously. Bhagavan, like a loving and compassionate Mother, had taken over the near-fatal injuries that this boy was destined to suffer.
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| Sri Sathya Sai arriving in the Chariot for the Sports Meet to the Hill View Stadium |
Despite the severe injury to His physical body, Swami had got down from the stage several times for group photograph sessions with His beloved children. Swami had kept a smiling face all through to make His children happy.
Jesus Christ was crucified once, but His pain and suffering were soothed by the tears of mankind. We are unaware how many crucifixions Swami has to suffer daily for our sake. Our Mother Sai suffers selflessly for us in silence and we are unaware of it. Bhagavan says, “I know the pangs of your heart. You do not know the pain I experience in taking over yours. I suffer every shred of your pain.” Bhagavan’s love is a circle which has no beginning and no end. It is all-embracing and ever-expanding, reaching out to one and all. Swami says that our welfare is His welfare and our happiness is His happiness. As He brings us under the umbrella of His Divine Grace, He looks after not only us but also our families.
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| Sri Sathya Sai with Students on that Sports Meet Day |
In 1996 my sister used to frequently fall ill in spite of all types of medication. My parents were extremely anxious about her health and they took her to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad for treatment. The doctors diagnosed that there were holes in her heart which was the reason for her frequent illness. The doctors suggested that a heart operation had to be performed. My parents were extremely perturbed and they prayed fervently to Bhagavan for His grace.
The night before the operation, Swami appeared in my father’s dream and offered His ‘Abhaya Hasta’. The smile on Bhagavan’s lips lifted my father’s drooping heart. The next day my parents were waiting anxiously outside the operation theatre. Prior to the operation, the doctor had told my father that the operation would take a few hours. However, after an hour the doctor came out of the operation theatre and said that the operation had been successfully completed. The doctor added that some of the holes in the heart were already covered and they had had to cover only a few holes; hence the operation had been completed earlier than anticipated. Later, my parents and my sister came to Prasanthi Nilayam to have Bhagavan’s Darshan. During darshan, Swami came near my father and showed the same “Abhaya Hasta” and put on the same smile that my father had seen in the dream. In our heart of hearts we knew that the Divine Doctor alone had cured my sister. Indeed, life with Sai is hope without end, whereas life without Sai is a hopeless end.
Swami says, “My life is my message. My message is Love.” Swami, the embodiment of love, showers His infinite love on everyone as the sun gives sunshine to all. Having received so much from Bhagavan, what should we do to repay Him? How do we show our gratitude to Him? For all the love and benevolence, our Mother Sai does not ask anything from us in return. The only thing that we can give Him is our pure love. To love Him is to ‘Love All, Serve All.’ Bhagavan expects us to love all just as He loves us. It is only when we ‘Love All and Serve All’ that we become truly close to Sai. Our main purpose in life should be to make our Lord happy through our thoughts, words and deeds. Bhagavan is bound only with the permanent relationship of Pure Love.
Mightier than the mountains,
Deeper than the ocean,
Stronger than the diamond and
More sublime than any worldly beauty
is the Bond of Love
between our Sai and us.
- Kalyan Charan Teja
Student (1991-2003)
Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School;
Student (2003-2006), Department of Commerce
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Brindavan Campus
Source: Sai Sparshan 2005 (80th Birthday Offering)
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